Former Texas big Myles Turner inks two-year, roughly $60 million extension with Indiana Pacers
Former Texas center Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers have agreed on a two-year contract extension that will keep turner in Indianapolis through the 2024-25 season. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report the deal, and added that the Pacers are also adding about $17 million on to Turner’s 2022-23 salary.
The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania added some more information about the pay structure. The $17 million add-on brings the 2022-23 salary figure to $35 million. In 2023-24, he’ll be set to make $20.9 million and then in 2024-25 he’ll earn $19.9 million.
Wojnarowski reported the extension as being worth $60 million and Charania came in with a $58 million figure — probably a discrepancy Turner isn’t too worried about given the deal he’s going to be signing.
Turner, a Texas native, spent one season playing for the Longhorns in 2014-15. He won Big 12 freshman of the year honors while averaging 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. As a No. 11 seed, Texas lost to No. 6 seed Butler in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Turner then declared for the NBA draft and was selected by the Pacers with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Texas vs. Tennessee: How to watch, odds, predictions from ESPN, KenPom
Texas and Tennessee are set to square off Saturday as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, and both teams will be looking for a big non-conference boost during the middle of league play. Both teams enter Saturday’s showdown ranked in the top 10 nationally.
How to watch Texas vs. Tennessee
Tip-off: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Channel: ESPN
Vegas odds
Tennessee is a 7.0-point favorite over Texas on Saturday, according to VegasInsider.
ESPN BPI prediction
Predicted winner: Tennessee
Predicted point differential: 11.1
Win probability (for Tennessee): 84.6%
Matchup quality: 84.5
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a tool that measures team strength and uses that to predict outcomes of future performances. ESPN’s BPI has the game ranked as the 12th highest-rated game on Thursday’s slate in terms of matchup quality.
KenPom prediction
Predicted final score: Tennessee 72, Texas 64
Win probability (for Tennessee): 78%
More on Texas vs. Tennessee
Despite both teams being ranked in the current top 10 in the polls, most of the projections for this game have Tennessee as a sizable favorite. The Volunteers have played exceptionally well at home this year and enter Saturday’s meeting riding a three-game winning streak. Tennessee has also won eight of its last nine contests.
Texas, meanwhile, has had to deal with the midseason loss of coach Chris Beard following his arrest stemming from a domestic violence charge.
The Longhorns have managed to do quite well even so, and they enter Saturday’s game having won five of the last six, with the lone loss in that stretch to a ranked Iowa State squad. Texas is currently tied atop the Big 12 standings with a 6-2 league mark.
The two teams are slated for a 6 p.m. ET tip on ESPN and will surely have eyes around the country tuning into what should be a fine matchup.